At Basswood Church, we believe that both evangelism and missions should be centered in and flow from the local church. Rather than supporting parachurch organizations or individual ministries that operate independently, we focus our efforts on establishing and strengthening local churches as the primary means of gospel advancement. This church-centered approach ensures that new converts are not just reached with the gospel message, but are discipled and integrated into the life of a biblical church where they can grow in faith, be equipped for ministry, and continue the work of making disciples. We believe the local church—with its commitment to biblical preaching, discipleship, fellowship, and accountability—provides the essential foundation for lasting gospel transformation in both individual lives and entire communities.
Our primary mission endeavor is supporting Covenant Hope Church in Dubai, UAE, where we partner with local leadership to establish a healthy church in an unreached region of the world. Rather than simply sending financial support or short-term mission trips, we are committed to the long-term work of church planting that focuses on developing local leaders, sound biblical teaching, and sustainable church growth. Through Covenant Hope, we seek to see the gospel take root in the Middle East through a healthy, biblically-grounded local church that can continue the work of evangelism and discipleship for generations to come. This partnership reflects our conviction that the most effective missions work happens when local churches are planted, strengthened, and equipped to reach their own communities with the transforming power of the gospel.
Reach UTK represents our commitment to church-centered evangelism right here in our own community. Led by Elder Chad Keeter, this ministry focuses on reaching University of Tennessee and other university students with the gospel while intentionally connecting them to the life of our church. Rather than simply holding campus events or Bible studies that remain disconnected from church life, Reach UTK works to bring students into the fellowship, worship, and discipleship opportunities that Basswood provides. We believe that effective evangelism doesn't end with a profession of faith, but continues as new believers are integrated into a church family where they can be baptized, taught, and equipped to become disciple-makers themselves. Through Reach UTK, we're seeing college students not only come to faith in Christ but also become active members of our church who contribute to our mission of making disciples locally and globally.